The present invention relates to a valve, in particular a vacuum valve, with at least one closure member which has a wedge-shaped closure region and with at least one valve seat surrounding a valve opening of the valve, wherein, in a closed position of the closure member, the wedge-shaped closure region lies against the valve seat in sealing fashion and closes the valve opening and, in an open position, frees the valve opening for fluids and/or solids to be transported through the valve opening, wherein the closure member with the wedge-shaped closure region is mounted so that it can move back and forth on a movement path between the closed position and the open position.
Valves of the abovementioned type are known from the prior art in multiple embodiments. Because of the wedge-shaped closure region of the closure member, they are often also referred to as so-called wedge valves. In the prior art, wedge valves are moved linearly exclusively in one direction between the open position and the closed position. Opening, in other words the movement of the closure member from the closed position into the open position, then takes place exclusively linearly in the opposite direction.
Wedge valves have the advantage that relatively high sealing forces can be achieved relatively easily when the valve closes. For this reason, wedge valves of the type mentioned are also often used in so-called dirty processes, i.e. processes in which particles carried along with the fluids transported through the valve opening are deposited in the valve and hence contaminate the valve and in particular the valve seat as well.